Unite suspends Angela Rayner over Birmingham bin strikes

Unite, one of the largest trade unions in the UK, has suspended Angela Rayner’s membership over the Birmingham bin strikes row.

It also voted to “re-examine its relationship” with Labour over the issue, in a sign of growing divide between the union and the party who have historically worked hand-in-hand.

The announcement comes after a vote by Unite members at their conference in Brighton, where they condemned the Labour-run council in Birmingham, and the government, for “attacking the bin workers”.

However, a source close to Rayner told ITV News that she is no longer a member of the union, after resigning her membership some months ago.

Unite sources insist their membership system shows she is still an active member and she did not formally resign.

The union said fire and rehire tactics had “effectively” been deployed against striking workers, who are taking industrial action in a dispute over pay and job conditions which has been ongoing for four months.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette.

“Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts.

“The disgraceful actions of the government and a so-called Labour council, is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises.

“People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on and coming up with the answer not workers.”

It also voted to suspend the union membership of John Cotton, the Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, and other union members on the authority.

The strikes have resulted in unsanitary conditions throughout the city, with large piles of rubbish in the streets.

Unite is listed as an affiliated union of the Labour Party. Last year, it offered the most financial support out of all 11 affiliated unions to Labour MPs.

In 2024, it gave more than £500,000 in the run up to the election including £10,000 to Rayner herself, according to the Parliamentary Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

A Downing Street spokesman said the government’s priority throughout the dispute had “always” been Birmingham’s residents.

The No 10 spokesman also told reporters: “As you know, Unite’s industrial action caused disruption to waste collection.

“We have worked intensively with the council to tackle the backlog and clean up the streets for the residents for public health.

“We remain in close contact with the council and continue to monitor the situation as we support its recovery and transformation.

“I think it’s important to look back to the context of this dispute: Unite is in dispute against Birmingham City Council’s decision to reform unfair staff structures, which were a major cause of unequal pay claims and left the council liable to hundreds of millions of pounds in claims, and that was a key factor cited in the council section 114 notice in 2023, declaring bankruptcy.”